This invention relates to a bottle holder for hanging a bottle such as an intravenous bottle in an inverted position during its use.
Various bottle holders of the described type presently are available. One such bottle holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,783, and comprises a pleated bail which is expanded by grasping its opposite side edges and pulling it outwardly to provide a hanger which is then used to hang the bottle in an inverted position. The bottle holder per se is removably attached to the bottle. Other available bottle holders are of a similar construction.
One disadvantage of these bottle holders is that the "hanger" must be pulled or otherwise formed before the bottle can be suspended in an inverted position, thus both hands normally are required to hang the bottle. In many situations, the fact that both hands are required to hang the bottle makes it very cumbersome, difficult and awkward to form the hanger.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive bottle holder that can be removably attached to a bottle such as an intravenous bottle to support the bottle in an inverted position. The bottle holder has a hanger which normally is stored in a cavity formed beneath the top wall of the holder and the bottom of the bottle when the bottle is seated in an upright position, and which is automatically formed and ready for use when the bottle is picked up.